Mechanism for lifting front mounted implements



C. B. RICHEY lMarch 30, 1954 MECHANISM FOR LIFTING FRONT MO UNTED IMPLEMENTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 1, 1950 306 INVENTOR- QAAi/Vf' 49. 2/0/41 March 30, 1954 c; B. RICHEY 2,673,504 MECHANISM FOR LIFTING FRONT MOUNTED IMPLEMENTS Filed July 1, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 30, 1954 MECHANISM FO MOUNTED Dearborn,

R LIFTIN G FRONT IMPLEMEN TS Clarence B. Richey, Royal- Oak, by mesne assignments, to Ford Mich., assignor, Motor Company,

Micl1., a corporation of Delaware Application July 1, 1950, Serial No. 171,733

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for use with the power-lifted trailing draft links of a well front of such tractor.

It is frequently desirable to mount variou implements on the front end of a tractor not only ground to facilitate transportation of the implement to the working area and for adjusting the working height of the implement relative to the ground. While many of todays tractors are provided with power lifting mechanism for lifting or controlling the operation of front mounted implements.

ccordingly, it is an object of provide an improved mechanism for use with the power-lifted trailing lifting and controlling front mounted implements.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of simple construction which is readily mountable on the power-lifted trailing draft links of a tractor to permit convenient utilization of such power-lifted link for vertical control of front mounted implements.

The specific nature of this invention, as well as other objects and advantages thereof, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the attached sheets of drawings on which, by way of preferred example only, is illustrated one embodiment of thi invention.

On the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a tractor showing the mechanism of this invention mounted on the trailing draft links of a tractor.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear end view of the device of Fig. 2 shown partly in section.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the plane 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along the plane 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the tractor front end showing the bracket mounting on the front axle.

draft links of a tractor for Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along the plane 1? of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the tractor front end.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along the plane 9-9 of Fig. 7.

As shown on the drawings:

The implement lift mounting device of this invention is conveniently utilized with a tractor having a pair of vertically swingable, power lifted trailing draft links and such device comprises a pair of transversely spaced brackets which are respectively engageable with the trailing draft links at their rear ends and pivotally connected at their forward ends to the tractor. A linkage arrangement connects the forward ends of each bracket to an implement pivotally mounted at the front end of the tractor. A brace member also secured to the forward end of each bracket bears against the underside of the corresponding draft link to stabilize and align such brackets in substantial parallelism. Raising or lowering of the trailing draft links rotates each of the brackets concurrently so that the links attached to such brackets are moved in a substantially longitudinal direction to effect raising or lowering of the front mounted implement.

The lifting device of this invention will now be described in greater detail and is preferably utilized with a tractor IQ of well known make having a pair of trailing draft links If transversely spaced and pivoted to the axle housing l2 as at l3. The ends of draft links I I incorporate the Well known spherical type of bearings I311 in their pivotal mountings which permit limited lateral movement as well a vertical movement of such hitch links. Draft links I l are vertically lifted by a pair of lift arms I 4 journaled in the tractor frame. Lift arms i i are rotated by a built-in hydraulically operated ram (not shown). l4 are connected to draft thus upward rotation of lift arms Hi effects a corresponding rotation of draft links I I.

In Fig. 1 there is shown a stalk shredder l6 mounted on the front of tractor l0. Obviously, other types of implements can be mounted on the front of the tractor but such an implement is chosen to best illustrate the workings of this inment. Stalk shredder It operates under a shield l1 and such shield is supported by a frame l8 of generally U-shaped configuration comprising a tubular bight portion l8a and side arm members [8b. ,The forward ends of arm members we respectively journal the ends of a transverse shaft |6a projecting beyond the sides of shield Shaft Ilia carries a stalk shredding rotor (not shown). A pair of transversely spaced plate-like members IQ of substantially triangular configuration are welded to bight portion |8a of U-frame l8. Transverse mounting bolts respectively pivotally secure plates l9 (a shown in Figs. 1 and G) to a pair of brackets 2| secured to the front end of tractor H! to permit limited transverse adjustment of the implement relative to the tractor. Plates l9 are provided with stiffening webs |9a and a transverse bolt I9?) is provided in the upper apex thereof for a purpose to-be later described.

Each bracket 2| is of substantially I-beam construction and is provided with rearwardly and outwardly flared vertical sides Zia as shown in Figs. 6 and 8. A foot portion 2|b comprising essentially a U-shaped member is welded to the end of bracket 2 la in such fashion that the foot will be angularly disposed, as best shown in Fig. 8. Foot 2|b is provided with a pair of transversely spaced apertures 2 la in its bight portion through which bolts 23 may be inserted to secure the foot to front aXle 22 of tractor ID as will now be explained.

As is well known, axle 22 is adjustable transversely whereby a greater or lesser spacing of the front wheels may be conveniently obtained. Accordingly, the portions of axle 22 supporting the front wheels of the tractor are made separable from the main axle portion 22a. Each axle portion 22 is secured to main portion 22a by a pair of bolts 23 insertable in a selected pair of a plurality of spaced holes 24 provided in each axle portion 22a which are selectively alignable with correspondingly spaced holes in main axle portion 22a for changing the spacing between the wheels. The bight portion of foot 2|b is placed between the two axle portions 22 and 22a as shown in Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9. Bolts 23 then pass through the transverse holes 2|c provided in foot 21b to secure such foot in clamped relationship between axle portions 22 and 22a. A longitudinally extending slot 2|d is provided in the forward end of each bracket 2| to pivotally support pins 2|! as will be later described. Shaft lea is power driven by a belt from a front power-take-ofi pulley 3G suitably connected to the tractor motor crank shaft. Such belt is directed around a pulley 31 secured to one end of shaft |6a by a pair of idler pulleys 38 and 39. This arrangement is fully described and claimed in a pending application for driving system for a vehicle mounted implement, Serial No. 106,363 (now abandoned) filed July 23, 19%9 in the name of F. D. Sawyer and assigned to the assignee of this application.

In order to utilize draft links H for raising stalk shredder IE a substantially L-shaped mounting device or bracket 25 is mounted on each of such draft links. Each bracket 25 comprises a base member or lever arm 25a and an upright leg member 2511 perpendicularly secured as by welding to the forward end of lever arm 25a and a transverse hole 25d is provided in the rear end of lever arm 25a. lhe rearwardly disposed hole 250. permits mounting of lever arms 250. on pins 26 respectively projecting from each end of a drawbar 2'! on which the tractor draft links H are first mounted (Figs. 1 and 2). Lee member's 25b are laterally offset as shown at 25c in Fig. 3 to permit mounting of such leg mem bers on the usual depending stabilizer bar brackets 28 respectively provided on the tractor axle housing |2 adjacent the rear wheels as shown in Fig. 3. Each leg member 251) is pivotally secured to the corresponding bracket 28 by a transverse bolt 28a.

A thrust arm 29 is welded to each leg member 25b as shown in' Figs. 2, 3 and 5 to contact the forward ends of draft links Each thrust arm is angularly disposed on the leg members 25b as best shown in Fig. 3 and a notch 29a (Fig. 4) is provided in the upper end of each of such thrust arms which engages the underside of each draft link H for a purpose to be later explained.

Connection between bracket 25 and plate |9 of corn stalk shredder i6 is effected by a pair of longitudinal forwardly extending bar-like link members 30. The forward end of each link 30 is pivotally connected at 30a to an upstanding, inverted Y-shaped member 3|. The lower ends of the inverted Y-shaped member 3| are pivotally secured on opposite sides of each bracket 3| by a bolt 'ela. A fork member 3|b is provided at the top of Y-shaped member 3| and link 30 is pivotally supported within forked portion 3|b by a bolt 33a. A chain 32 having its ends respectively mounted on bolts 30a and I9?) connects the upper end of Y-shaped member 3| to the upper apex of plate 3|). Links 30 are provided with forked rear ends 30?) which are respectively pivotally secured to the forward ends of arms 25a by transverse pins 2550.

Operation In Fig. 1, stalk shredder H3 is shown in its operating position where it rests substantially on the ground. When it is desired to raise such stalk shredder to a non-working position, draft links H are raised by manipulation of the hydraulic control lever (not shown). As draft links H are raised vertically, brackets 25 are rotated in a counter-clockwise direction. Lever arm 25a being spaced downwardly from pivot point |3 of hitch links H by leg member 251) likewise describes an arc in a counterclockwise direction. As the rear ends of links 30 are pivotally connected to the end of arms 25a as shown at 301), links 30 will be pulled rearwardly. Rear ward movement of links 30 will then rotate Y- members 3| in a clockwise direction whereupon plate members l9 and hence corn stalk shredder H5 is rotated upwardly in a clockwise direction. Thus the corn stalk shredder it; may be substantially elevated above the ground. The stalk shredder is conveniently lowered into working position by release of the pressured hydraulic fluid acting on the lift arms M to thereby permit the stalk shredder to lower by gravity to the desired working height. ihe thrust arms 29 being respectively fixed at their lower ends to lever arms 25a near the pivot point of such arms bear against draft links H to prevent the lateral movement of such links which is normally possible due to the use of the spherical bearings lSa utilized for mounting such links in the tractor. Hence thrust arms 29 laterally stabilize brackets 25 by minimizing lateral movement of hitch links It will thus appear that there is here provided a mechanism for use with the power lifted draft links of a tractor which conveniently permits the vertical control of an implement mounted on the front of the tractor. Such an arrangement is of relatively simple and inexpensive, yet rugged construction. In addition, the operation of front mounted implements is greatly facilitated.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a Wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. For use with a tractor having a pair of laterally spaced, power-lifted, universally pivoted, trailing hitch links and an implement pivotally spectively laterally pivot points of said spaced outwardly from the hitch links, means for respectively connecting the free ends of said levers and said hitch links, means for operatively connecting said levers to the implement, whereby the implement is pivoted as the hitch links are raised or lowered, and a pair of laterally inwardly proprising a first and second arm joined in substantially L-shaped configuration, said first arm being adapted for pivotal mounting on the tractor in substantial alignment with the pivot axis of the respective hitch link and being laterally spaced therefrom, said second arm being adapted for securement to the free end of the respective hitch link, means for operatively connecting said bracket members to the implement, whereby the implement is raised or lowered as the hitch links are raised or lowered, and a laterally projecting strut member rigidly secured to each of said bracket members, each strut member having a notch in the free end thereof for engagement with the respective hitch link to transversely stabilize said hitch links.

CLARENCE B. RICHEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

